Book: Smoke and Scar by Gretchen Powell Fox
Reviewed by IvI
Rating: 5/5
I LOVED this book. It had a fantasy world building with a tragic story of betrayal and revenge, fantastical creatures and monsters (humans included), deadly trials with dark and ancient magic, found family and a really really slow-burn romance with enemies to forced allies to kind of lovers. It was a wild ride and I loved every step of the way.
I enjoyed the vibes between the main characters, the MMC Cedric is a broody human warrior who's obsessed with the evil fae who killed his parents, The Renevant, but when he's about to enter this Arcane Crucible and met her, he realizes she's not what he thought and maybe he doesn't remember exactly what happened back then. Elyria is the FMC, a strong, morally grey fae warrior, so smart and sassy with a dark past (literally) and an uncertain future. She enters the trials to help her friend Kit, sister of her former love lost in the last Crucible. Together, human and fae, will have to learn how to fight side by side and trust each other.
This book has a lot of things and twists, the story has zero spice but a lot of tension and longing between Cedric and Elyria.
This was a YES for me and would love to read the second book of the Shattered Crown series. I need to know how this goes!!!